Loading page content
Metal and plastic patternmakers plan the sequence from drawings, measure, machine, assemble, and repair casting patterns, core boxes, or templates, and check dimensions with measuring tools; machine tool and welding work must follow training and on-site safety procedures.
Suited to people willing to read drawings, measure dimensions, plan the machining sequence, and repeatedly rework a pattern until it meets specification.
A positive signal is being able to verify tolerances, record machining deviations, and stop to re-check when dimensions or materials do not match.
O*NET 51-4062.00 describes reading drawings, measuring, machining, fitting, and assembling metal or plastic casting patterns, core boxes, templates, and similar parts.
The work objects are casting patterns, core boxes, and templates. Dimensions and sequence are set from drawings; parts are checked with measuring tools, machined or repaired, and the assembly is then verified.
Evidence gap: the precise nationwide pay distribution for patternmakers in China was not obtained.
For NBS2025 manufacturing, the pre-tax annual average across all occupations is 113,594 yuan for non-private units and 76,055 yuan for private units. Mold manufacturing code 3525 under GB/T4754-2017 belongs to manufacturing and covers molds used for metal casting and similar purposes; it applies as conditional background only where the real employer is a legal mold or casting pattern manufacturer in manufacturing, and it is not the patternmaker median, percentile, starting pay, or take-home pay. Dispatch, independent design services, and research or education require checking the contract employer's industry separately, and the patternmaker job title or workshop location does not automatically qualify.
O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
42,460 dollars per year; 20.42 dollars per hour
| Entry-level posts | What does the first period mainly involve | What employers usually look at | How to show ability without experience | How it differs from other directions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patternmaking apprentice | Drawing reading, material preparation, and safety observation | Looks at dimension records | Paper process card | Must not operate equipment without training |
| Patternmaker | Machining, reworking, and assembling patterns | Looks at tolerances and rework | Simulated measurement records | Responsible for workpiece quality |
| CNC patternmaking | Machining pattern parts to program | Looks at program and equipment verification |
Read drawings and plan the sequence, machine, assemble, and repair metal or plastic casting patterns, core boxes, and templates, and check dimensions with measuring tools.
O*NET tasks may include designing and creating patterns and core boxes and CAD/CNC preparation; this occupation focuses on making, repairing, and measuring patterns. Drawing changes and engineering approval follow the actual post, and it cannot be said categorically that patternmakers do not design.
Fully fictional pattern P paper exercise: approved drawing v2 with width 40.00±0.10 mm, hole spacing 25.00±0.05 mm, and material resin R; the old drawing v1 gives width 39.80±0.10 mm, while the order still says wood W. The fictional measurement sheet records widths of 40.08 and 40.14 mm and a hole spacing of 24.96 mm, and the measuring tool calibration status is unverified; the CAM draft is based on v1. Five questions: which drawing version applies, the two dimension closed intervals, which reading is out of tolerance, who confirms the material conflict, and whether the CAM can be run or the part released? Reference: check the approved v2 and the change records; width 39.90—40.10 mm and hole spacing 24.95—25.05 mm; 40.08 and 24.96 fall within the intervals on paper, while 40.14 exceeds the upper limit by 0.04 mm; unverified calibration means actual conformity cannot be confirmed, so it goes to quality staff for review; the resin and wood conflict goes to engineering for confirmation, without guessing a substitute material; the old CAM cannot be run directly, any real equipment requires training authorization and post review, and paper exercises release nothing. Four outputs: a version comparison, a paper measurement recomputation sheet, a material and program conflict form, and an engineering and quality acceptance handoff sheet. All setups are author-fictional and are not actual dimension standards, measurement records, or employer exams.
Risks from machine tools, grinding wheels, welding, and dust must be managed according to on-site procedures; do not operate real equipment without training.
Safe practice uses only paper drawings, CAD, or unpowered materials to simulate dimension verification and process records.
Evidence gap: the precise nationwide pay distribution for patternmakers in China was not obtained. The US figure is the exact 51-4062 occupation, and the manufacturing conditional average is read separately.
Communication | Verify drawing versions, dimensions, and rework requirements with engineering, foundry, and quality staff. Work setting | A machining or foundry-related workshop, where equipment safety procedures must be followed. Precision requirements | Calipers, micrometers, and similar measuring tools are used to check dimensions and tolerances. Decision latitude | May plan the sequence, but key drawing changes and acceptance follow authorization. Accountability | Responsible for pattern dimensions, fit, and traceable records. Time pressure | Delivery dates do not replace safety checks and measurement. Physical activity | May involve standing, using hand tools, and moving materials, which requires following protection requirements. Repetitive tasks | Machining, rework, and re-measurement often repeat. Exception situations | Stop and escalate when dimensions, materials, or equipment condition do not match.
Read drawings and confirm version → calculate dimensions and sequence → prepare materials and safety checks → machine and assemble → measure tolerances → rework and re-verify → identify and deliver.
Occupational pay and employment are shown at O*NET 51-4062.00; statistics for different manufacturing occupations cannot be mixed.
Verify drawings and orders → prepare materials and safety checks → machine the pattern or core box → measure and rework → verify assembly → record acceptance and handoff
For NBS2025 manufacturing, the pre-tax annual average across all occupations is 113,594 yuan for non-private units and 76,055 yuan for private units. Mold manufacturing code 3525 under GB/T4754-2017 belongs to manufacturing and covers molds used for metal casting and similar purposes; it applies as conditional background only where the real employer is a legal mold or casting pattern manufacturer in manufacturing, and it is not the patternmaker median, percentile, starting pay, or take-home pay. Dispatch, independent design services, and research or education require checking the contract employer's industry separately, and the patternmaker job title or workshop location does not automatically qualify.
The quality standard is that pattern dimensions, fit, and surface condition match the approved drawing; keep inspection records.
US occupational tasks include designing or creating patterns and core boxes and CAD/CNC preparation; the job cannot be reduced to machining without design. Drawing changes, equipment operation, and quality release authority are each verified against the actual post.
Check the approved drawing → verify materials and sequence → confirm equipment authorization → machine and assemble → measure and handle deviations → record version and quality acceptance
Handling customer drawings or technical documents must follow employer authorization and confidentiality rules; specific intellectual property duties follow the contract.
Checkable outputs include the pattern, core box, or template plus dimension, tolerance, and version records.
Patternmakers handle making, repairing, and dimension verification of patterns, core boxes, and templates; adjacent occupations are distinguished by object, design responsibility, equipment, and inspection authority.
Adjacent design posts focus on drawing structure and engineering calculations, while foundry posts focus on using patterns to form castings.
Making and reworking casting patterns, core boxes, and templates
Not altering drawings at will or confirming that actual output passes using an old CAM draft.
Approved drawings, work orders, materials, sample parts, and measuring tools
This occupation is not equivalent to mold design engineer, general machine tool operator, or foundry worker.
Design collaboration reviews drawings under appointment; patternmaking plans, machines, measures, and gives feedback based on the current approved basis.
Patternmaking may involve creating pattern designs but does not automatically grant drawing change or final quality approval authority.
Design collaboration delivers drawing calculations; foundry delivers castings; general machining delivers assorted machined parts.
Identified patterns, core boxes, or templates plus version, dimension, and deviation records
Authorized engineering or quality personnel receive material conflicts, changes, and releases by matter.
Patternmakers are responsible for machining, measurement, and records within the scope of the post
Training certificates, software output, or paper work do not equal equipment operation and final acceptance authority.
Use only equipment for which you have been trained and authorized, record out-of-tolerance results, and request review
US task descriptions do not establish Chinese entry requirements or mutual recognition of Chinese and US qualifications.
The actual employer decides process, safety, drawing, and quality authority
Before starting, verify employment identity, tasks, training, equipment, and quality authorization separately.
Contract employer and industry
Manufacturing legal entities, dispatch, and independent design services are verified separately, and workshop location does not qualify for an industry average.
Drawing and material basis
Confirm the approved version, dimension tolerances, order materials, and the change recipient.
Equipment training and operating authority
Verify the real machine tool, safeguards, and job training; do not operate directly from CAD practice.
Measuring tools and quality records
Verify calibration status, measurement method, out-of-tolerance review, and finished product identification.
Drawing and customer data permissions
Verify the permitted scope per employer and contract, and do not upload real drawings to external tools.
Exception recipients and quality release
Name the engineering, equipment, and quality owners; do not change drawings, repair, or release without authorization.
Tool and die makers can make many kinds of tooling; patternmakers focus on casting patterns, core boxes, and templates.
When comparing with tool and die making, machine operation, foundry work, and engineering technology posts, distinguish by drawing responsibility, machining object, equipment operation, and inspection authority.
Machine tool operators machine many kinds of parts; patternmakers focus more on patterns, core boxes, or templates and their assembly.
Focus on creating, machining, and repairing casting patterns, core boxes, and templates
People willing to read drawings, measure, and patiently rework
Identified patterns and traceable dimension records
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic
Tool and die posts cover molds, fixtures, and broader tooling and cannot be treated as the same statistic as this occupation
Those who want to compare different tooling objects should also verify equipment training
Molds or fixtures and their corresponding inspection records
Tool and Die Makers
General machine tools machine a wider range of objects, while patternmaking emphasizes pattern fit and assembly
People willing to be trained in various machining operations
Machined parts and process measurement records
Machine operation or machining
Foundry posts use patterns to form castings, while this occupation makes and reworks the patterns
Those more interested in the casting process should also verify on-site risks
Castings and process quality records
Foundry direction
Drafting focuses on expressing drawing requirements, while patternmaking must check the physical pattern against the drawing
Those who prefer drawing expression still need the relevant standards training
Versioned mechanical drawings
Mechanical drafting direction
Industrial engineering technology focuses on process analysis and improvement and does not replace authorization to perform patternmaking operations.
People who prefer process measurement and production improvement
Process and production analysis records
Industrial engineering technology direction
Machine tool operators machine many kinds of parts; patternmakers focus more on patterns, core boxes, or templates and their assembly.
Patternmaking apprentices and career changers
First verify drawings, tolerances, and equipment training, and do not run programs in paper exercises.
Incumbent patternmakers and CNC staff
For low-risk support, verify version, materials, and error records first; actual measured acceptance and equipment condition are reviewed by people.
Engineering and quality collaborators
Keep pattern suggestions separate from drawing changes and name the change and release owners.
Workshop management and training leads
Verify tool data permissions, applicable equipment, and failure recipients; do not require individuals to upload customer drawings themselves.
Generative AI can be a candidate aid for explanations and records; CAD/CAM and CNC are different technologies. An overall net employment decline does not prove causation by generative AI and cannot imply an individual's unemployment.
O*NET exact 51-4062.00 tasks | https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4062.00
Used to determine this page's task scope, work activities, and work environment; it is the main basis for the definition and duties and contains no AI impact conclusions.
BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
2025—2035 net change and openings including replacements; there is no AI adoption or causal breakdown.
ILO generative AI task exposure study | https://www.ilo.org/publications/generative-ai-and-jobs-refined-global-index-occupational-exposure
Used to describe task-level exposure and regional differences; the index measures potential exposure, not adoption rates, automation rates, or unemployment probabilities.
GPTs are GPTs task potential paper | https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
Used to describe the estimation method and scope for the share of tasks affected; the authors explicitly do not forecast adoption timelines.
WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025 | https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/
Used to describe employer expectations about skill and job changes in 2025–2030; these are subjective employer expectations, not realized outcomes.
NIST Generative AI Risk Profile | https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ai/NIST.AI.600-1.pdf
Voluntary cross-industry risk recommendations that do not measure patternmaker adoption or Chinese qualifications.
Author paper-based patternmaking task analysis (editorial)
Candidate uses require specific verification and are not time-saving experiments, enterprise deployments, or industry standards.
Adoption rates, task change, and employment projections are different evidence, and job disappearance is not inferred from tool demonstrations.
Can assist with extracting drawing text and process drafts; does not confirm that dimensions or tolerances are correct.
People verify the approved drawing, materials, calculations, version, and change recipients.
Can be a candidate for organizing measurement sheets and deviation notes, and does not constitute actual measurement.
People verify measuring tool status, reading basis, out-of-tolerance re-measurement, and quality authorization.
Can assist with record classification or handoff summaries and does not mean adoption is widespread.
People verify customer data permissions, numbering, version, and acceptance responsibility.
Global exposure, the paper's task potential, employer expectations, and risk frameworks are not adoption experiments for this occupation; the original statistics and their limitations are preserved correctly.
Task exposure is not adoption, automation, or unemployment; the ILO study assesses task exposure, and this page obtained no directly citable single-occupation score for metal and plastic patternmakers, so no substitution rate is quantified from it.
ILO global task exposure study
Occupational task exposure gradient for global employment, not a single-occupation score for patternmakers.
About a quarter of workers worldwide are in occupations with generative AI exposure, and the highest gradient covers 3.3% of global employment; overall exposure is about 34% in high-income countries and about 11% in low-income countries.
The paper estimates task-level potential, and the authors explicitly do not forecast development or adoption timelines for such models; it cannot be read as an unemployment forecast.
GPTs are GPTs（2023）
US task-level model potential; does not forecast development or adoption timing.
About 80% of US workers have at least 10% of their tasks potentially affected, and about 19% have at least 50% of tasks affected; with model access, about 15% of tasks could be significantly sped up.
The survey subjects are employers' subjective expectations, not realized outcomes; the report should not be treated as measured data on metal and plastic patternmaker job changes.
WEF Future of Jobs Report 2025
Cross-industry employer subjective expectations for 2025—2030, not measured results for this occupation.
Employers expect technological change to both create and cut jobs in 2025–2030 and list skills updating as a priority; this page does not convert that into job numbers.
A voluntary risk framework applicable across scenarios; it is not occupational entry regulation and provides no accident or incidence rates for this occupation.
NIST AI600-1（2024）
Cross-scenario generative AI risk management recommendations.
Verify sources, data use, and human review responsibility; a voluntary framework grants no occupational authority.
No independent measurement for this occupation, and the author's task breakdown cannot prove adoption or time savings.
FermatMind author task breakdown
Editorial comparison of patternmaking drawing reading, records, measurement, and on-site operations.
Record drafts can be candidate aids, while on-site fixturing and measurement, version confirmation, and release still follow post responsibility.
Which information tasks generative AI might assist
Evidence gap: no Chinese AI adoption rate, independent time-saving experiment, or pay effect for this occupation was obtained. CAD/CAM use and generative AI adoption are verified separately.
Overall employment and AI causation are judged separately. Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand.
The exposure index cannot be used to say the whole job disappears; tasks and jobs differ, and equipment operation, actual measurement, and quality responsibility have real conditions.
ILO methodology and the task analysis on this page (not adoption data for this occupation)
There is no need to learn a lot of code first; what matters more is drawing reading, tolerance measurement, machining records, and equipment safety.
O*NET tasks and the author's learning suggestions
CAD and search tools can assist design communication; fixturing, trial cutting, dimension re-measurement, and on-site safety still require human responsibility.
Author candidate uses, not enterprise adoption or a measured time saving
Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand.
BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
No. A tool can generate process suggestions but cannot approve drawing changes, confirm equipment safety, or give final release.
Drawing, equipment, and quality authorization boundaries; author note
No disappearance year can be given. A 2035 overall decline projection does not declare the occupation extinct, and about 100 annual openings including replacements do not equal net new jobs.
BLS overall projections contain no generative AI causation or disappearance date
The editorial suggestion is to practice approved versions, tolerance recomputation, measuring tool status, and exception handoff first, then learn job-matched CAD/CAM and tool review; this is not a measured ranking of benefits.
Author learning suggestions and O*NET task scope
Drawing version, materials, programs, measuring tools, and quality acceptance are verified step by step; assistant output cannot expand post authority.
Input: approved drawings and fictional data only, with version and units marked.
Draft: text or table assistance that preserves the original basis and marks what is unreviewed.
Human review: independent tolerance recomputation, drawing comparison, measuring tool status, and data permissions.
Exceptions: drawing, material, or program conflicts go to engineering; measurement deviations go to quality, and equipment faults follow on-site procedures.
Handoff: with a clear recipient and status; do not self-release based on AI or simulated data.
An AI draft may treat old drawing dimensions as current tolerances and cause rework.
Re-check the approved version and change records, recompute independently, and do not machine directly from a draft.
Uploading customer drawings or orders to external tools may exceed the contract employer's permission.
Use only the approved scope or fictional materials, and have the responsible person confirm permission.
Inconsistent pattern, process, and program versions leave no basis for review.
Keep numbering, versions, approval status, and revision records, and do not run old programs directly.
Decimal, unit, tolerance, or reading errors change a paper-based pass judgment.
Independently recompute closed intervals and out-of-tolerance values, and keep unverified measuring tool status as an open item.
Tool-generated explanations are treated as engineering approval or quality release.
Route by matter to the real authorized owner, and do not treat software output as a signature.
People verify the approved version and units
Drawing text verification
Drawing and process verification
Can assist with extracting descriptions but cannot confirm approval or dimensions
People verify the applicability of current materials, equipment, and tolerances
Process draft comparison
Drawing and process verification
Can compare candidate drafts, with no independent adoption measurement
People verify numbering, version, and data permissions
Organizing pattern files and change records
Records and information management
Can assist with classification but cannot override the original approval record
People verify original readings and calibration status
Measurement sheet and deviation recomputation
Process records and measurement
Can assist with tables, while decimals and intervals must be computed independently
People verify the real recipient and open items
Exception and handoff notes
Records and information management
Can assist with summaries but does not confirm engineering approval
Trained personnel verify fixturing, programs, and equipment condition
CAD/CAM and CNC preparation
Equipment and quality collaboration
CAD/CAM is not generative AI adoption; old programs are not run directly
Quality staff verify actual measurement, tolerances, and release authorization
Finished product review and quality records
Process records and measurement
Text tools do not perform real measurement and grant no release authority
Transfer comparisons cover the actual object, drawing tolerances, equipment training, and quality responsibility, and using AI does not automatically make qualifications mutually recognized.
Conditional broad industry statistics, not contract pay for this occupation
The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
113,594 yuan per year (2025 pre-tax)
Non-private manufacturing urban legal entity all-occupation average, not an occupational median.
76,055 yuan per year (2025 pre-tax)
Private manufacturing urban legal entity all-occupation average, not starting pay or take-home pay.
Urban legal entities with 5 or more people
Self-employment and freelance work are excluded, and dispatch is verified by the actual employer's industry.
Includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund
Annual labor remuneration, and cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
The exact occupational percentile gap is retained
Do not infer this occupation's percentiles, education-based pay, or hiring demand from the manufacturing average.
Independent employer recruitment was not obtained
Evidence gap: the old MyNextMove career exploration is not patternmaker employer recruitment; this round obtained no verifiable independent notice, so no pay amount or nationwide threshold is filled in.
Evidence gap: this occupation's Chinese AI adoption rate, time savings, and pay effects were not obtained, and US overall projections are not used as substitutes.
O*NET51-4062.00 US task scope, which does not establish a one-to-one mapping of Chinese posts or pay.
High school diploma or equivalent
Patternmaking apprentice or production support
Verify against real notices and mentoring requirements; typical US education is not a uniform Chinese requirement.
Vocational education and job training
Drawing reading, measuring tools, and safety fundamentals
Verify courses, measuring tool training, and equipment authorization; courses do not grant quality release authority.
College or bachelor's background
Tooling, CAD/CAM, or quality collaboration
The directions are an editorial comparison, and real hiring requirements are verified separately; this is not an education-based pay ladder.
Other backgrounds or career changers
Start with fictional tolerance and version exercises
Work samples do not substitute for hiring, real measurement, or equipment training.
Mold or casting pattern manufacturing legal entities
Mold manufacturing 3525 under GB/T4754-2017 belongs to manufacturing; whether the average applies is verified by the real employer.
Other manufacturing tooling posts
Verify the legal entity's main business and the specific pattern tasks; not all of manufacturing counts as a patternmaking post.
Dispatch, independent design, or research and education
Verify separately by the contract employer's real industry; workshop location and job title do not determine classification.
BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic: the US task scope is for comparison and is not a Chinese pay statistical classification.
Education background and job training are verified separately
Education does not form a pay ladder, and the target notice, equipment, and quality authority are verified separately.
NBS2025 manufacturing conditional pay | https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfbhjd/202605/t20260515_1963707.html
For NBS2025 manufacturing, the pre-tax annual average across all occupations is 113,594 yuan for non-private units and 76,055 yuan for private units. Mold manufacturing code 3525 under GB/T4754-2017 belongs to manufacturing and covers molds used for metal casting and similar purposes; it applies as conditional background only where the real employer is a legal mold or casting pattern manufacturer in manufacturing, and it is not the patternmaker median, percentile, starting pay, or take-home pay. Dispatch, independent design services, and research or education require checking the contract employer's industry separately, and the patternmaker job title or workshop location does not automatically qualify. The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
Conditional non-private manufacturing
2025 pre-tax annual average of 113,594 yuan, covering only all occupations in real non-private urban legal entities in that industry.
Conditional private manufacturing
2025 pre-tax annual average of 76,055 yuan, covering only all occupations in real private urban legal entities in that industry.
Precise nationwide patternmaker pay
Evidence gap: no nationwide distribution for this occupation was obtained, and an industry average is not an occupational median or take-home pay.
The industry inference is a conditional judgment: verify the real manufacturing employer first, and do not generalize automatically from a US job title.
NBS2025 manufacturing conditional pay | https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfbhjd/202605/t20260515_1963707.html
Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand.
US 2025 exact 51-4062 median of 58,000 dollars per year and 27.89 dollars per hour, not extrapolated to China.
2025 US exact occupation 10th percentile, not new-hire starting pay. O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
49,070 dollars per year; 23.59 dollars per hour
2025 25th percentile, not the median or a seniority level. O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
58,000 dollars per year; 27.89 dollars per hour
2025 median across mixed levels of experience, regions, and employers, not an individual contract wage. O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
69,960 dollars per year; 33.63 dollars per hour
2025 75th percentile, not income necessarily obtained after promotion. O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
82,590 dollars per year; 39.71 dollars per hour
2025 90th percentile position, with no guarantee of entering the high-pay group. O*NET exact 51-4062 US nationwide 2025 pay | https://www.onetonline.org/link/localwages/51-4062.00; BLS metal and plastic machine workers OOH (broader background) | https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/metal-and-plastic-machine-workers.htm
About 1,500 people (2025)
BLS exact SOC51-4062 employment stock of about 1.5 thousand, without citing another occupation's 263,960. BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm; O*NET exact 51-4062.00 tasks | https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4062.00
−22.8% (2025—2035; official net of about −300 people)
Projected at about 1.1 thousand in 2035; thousands tables are rounded, and subtracting stocks cannot rewrite the official net change. BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm; O*NET exact 51-4062.00 tasks | https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4062.00
About 100 per year (including replacements)
An annual average of 0.1 thousand openings over 2025—2035 including transfers and labor force exits, not equal to net new jobs. BLS exact SOC51-4062 overall projections | https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm; O*NET exact 51-4062.00 tasks | https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/51-4062.00
Evidence gap: no same-basis pay for this occupation in its four sub-industries was obtained, and the broader machine worker OOH pay is not used to fill in.
2025 US exact SOC51-4062 pay median of 58,000 dollars per year and 27.89 dollars per hour; a nationwide distribution rather than starting pay, not extrapolated to China.
The nationwide distribution mixes regions and employers; individual contract terms are verified separately, and no regional differential for this occupation was quantified.
Region and actual employer
Complex patterns, software, and equipment training are job requirement comparisons and do not constitute a verified pay premium.
Task and training scope
Verify agreed hours, shifts, overtime, and pay composition, and do not multiply an hourly rate by generic hours to derive a personal annual salary.
Contract hours and pay calculation
Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand. The older O*NET 2024 employment of about 1,600, a 2024—2034 decline of −1% or lower, and an annual average of about 100 openings including replacements are kept as history and are not mixed with the new cycle.
Mold and tooling manufacturing
No median for this occupation in the industry was obtained
The nationwide figure of 58,000 dollars is not that industry's median, and broader OOH industry figures cannot be used to fill in.
Machinery and equipment manufacturing
No median for this occupation in the industry was obtained
Must use the same 51-4062 population and year, not industry figures for all machine workers.
Foundry-related manufacturing
No median for this occupation in the industry was obtained
Posts and employer industries differ, and actual industry distributions are verified separately.
Manufacturing of other materials and components
No median for this occupation in the industry was obtained
Do not generate industry differences from nationwide occupational percentiles, and do not project individual pay.
No. The median is the 2025 nationwide exact occupation distribution position, mixing experience, regions, and employers, not new-hire starting pay.
It cannot be derived directly. Official hourly and annual pay are read separately, and the individual's annual hours and contract composition are unknown.
Pay comes from the 2025 BLS occupational wages shown by O*NET; employment comes from the EP2025 —2035 exact 51-4062 data, and the two programs are kept separate.
Evidence gap: no verifiable single-factor pay effect for this occupation was obtained. Region, specific employer, hours, and post tasks must be verified against the real contract, and individual differences are not derived from nationwide percentiles.
2025 US exact occupation median of 58,000 dollars per year and 27.89 dollars per hour.
The 2025 US 10th percentile annual wage is 42,460 dollars (hourly 20.42 dollars); this is a distribution position and does not equal new-hire starting pay or a seniority level.
2025 median of 58,000 dollars per year and 27.89 dollars per hour; not entry-level pay or a seniority tier.
90th percentile of 82,590 dollars per year and 39.71 dollars per hour; a distribution position does not guarantee individual income.
O*NET interest RCA: Realistic, Conventional, Artistic. It can help you consider whether you enjoy physical fabrication, precise records, and pattern expression, and does not constitute a hiring threshold.
Occupational interest material is US work background, not a prediction of individual fit in China.
Interest cannot substitute for tolerance samples, on-site training, or safety performance.
Observe whether the person patiently re-checks versions and readings and seeks verification when unknown; Big Five dimensions serve self-reflection only.
Evidence gap: no independent validation that Big Five scores predict long-term performance in this occupation was obtained, so no fit threshold is set.
Interest tests cannot replace equipment training, tolerance judgment, and long-term work performance.
Those who enjoy making patterns, re-checking against specifications, and expressing spatial structure can go further with a paper trial.
MBTI can help discuss work preferences and does not specify a patternmaking post type or hiring standard.
RCA: Realistic, Conventional, Artistic; US O*NET occupational interest background.
The MBTI use on this page is a self-reflection suggestion, and no type-performance validation for this occupation was obtained.
Realistic R, Conventional C, Artistic A
RCA is an occupational interest cue, not an individual score determination.
Do not replace drawing samples, equipment training, and post authorization with four letters.
The Enneagram can help reflect on facing rework and communication pressure, and does not give a required patternmaker type.
Enneagram prediction for this occupation is unverified and is not used for occupational screening.
Different motivations all still require completing precise measurement, exception records, and safety training.
Paper dimension intervals and spatial drawing reading can practice reasoning, but an intelligence score does not replace actual measurement.
There is no IQ entry threshold or long-term performance prediction on this page.
Practical skills require practice and mentoring, and no score can skip equipment training.
Restating drawing conflicts and seeking verification from engineering and quality can practice communication, and no emotional intelligence hiring threshold applies.
This page has no effect size for EQ in this occupation; use behavior samples for review.
Good communication cannot replace drawing approval, tolerance re-measurement, or release.
All assessments are self-reflection cues and cannot replace work samples, real recruitment, and job training.
Observe whether the person can tell versions apart, recompute tolerances, keep open items, and hand off under authorization; do fictional exercises first and do not run real equipment.
Foundry mold and core making
Enjoys physically making patterns and cores
Foundry on-site conditions and equipment training are verified separately
Machining
Enjoys machining to drawing and measuring
Machine tools and work objects differ from this occupation, and authorization is verified separately
Tool and die making
Wants to handle more fixture and mold objects
Tooling processes and complexity must be added, and experience is not automatically mutually recognized
Structural metal fabrication and assembly
Enjoys physical fitting and assembly
Welding, material handling, and related post training are verified separately
CNC machine operation
Enjoys programs, equipment, and first-article verification
CAD practice grants no authority to run machine programs
Mechanical drafting
Prefers expressing dimension and structure requirements
Drawing standards and design responsibility must be learned separately, and do not carry customer drawings when changing roles
The RCA interest profile for this occupation can be used for comparison, and any type still requires job learning, so no single suitable personality can be fixed.
Willingness to repeatedly check versions and readings is an observable habit and does not require an introvert or extrovert label.
Outgoing people can equally practice drawing reading and measurement; the key is carefully verifying versions and units and being willing to re-check, and hiring is not predicted from introversion or extroversion labels.
Evidence gap: no independent validation that MBTI type predicts long-term performance in this occupation was obtained, so no required type or match rate is specified.
The O*NET occupational interest profile RCA (Realistic, Conventional, Artistic) can help consider physical fabrication, precise records, and spatial expression, without setting an individual hiring threshold.
This page's scores cannot predict it. Independent validation for this occupation is lacking, so verify with actual drawing reading, tolerance samples, training, and long-term behavior.
Dimension calculation and measuring tool readings are needed, but abstract math ability does not replace drawing reading, actual measurement, and safe operation.
Communication requires clearly stating the approved version, deviations, and recipients, and an EQ score is not a quality guarantee.
The Enneagram serves only as pressure and motivation self-reflection, with no suitable type or probability, and is verified through fictional tasks and actual mentoring.
Use the four outputs for fictional pattern P to compare preferences for drawing reading, measurement, and program records; a peer checks versions, tolerances, and open items, then verify target post training, and do not treat paper work as actual measurement.
Positive cue: willing to recompute the 39.90—40.10 closed interval and re-check the 40.14 out-of-tolerance record.
Pressure cue: continuously finds repeated re-checking tedious, or skips unverified calibration for a delivery date, which means task preferences should be reconsidered.
Fully fictional pattern P paper exercise: approved drawing v2 with width 40.00±0.10 mm, hole spacing 25.00±0.05 mm, and material resin R; the old drawing v1 gives width 39.80±0.10 mm, while the order still says wood W. The fictional measurement sheet records widths of 40.08 and 40.14 mm and a hole spacing of 24.96 mm, and the measuring tool calibration status is unverified; the CAM draft is based on v1. Five questions: which drawing version applies, the two dimension closed intervals, which reading is out of tolerance, who confirms the material conflict, and whether the CAM can be run or the part released? Reference: check the approved v2 and the change records; width 39.90—40.10 mm and hole spacing 24.95—25.05 mm; 40.08 and 24.96 fall within the intervals on paper, while 40.14 exceeds the upper limit by 0.04 mm; unverified calibration means actual conformity cannot be confirmed, so it goes to quality staff for review; the resin and wood conflict goes to engineering for confirmation, without guessing a substitute material; the old CAM cannot be run directly, any real equipment requires training authorization and post review, and paper exercises release nothing. Four outputs: a version comparison, a paper measurement recomputation sheet, a material and program conflict form, and an engineering and quality acceptance handoff sheet. All setups are author-fictional and are not actual dimension standards, measurement records, or employer exams.
Interest assessment entries are for self-reflection, not hiring standards.
The personality entry raises habit questions, and no performance threshold for this occupation was verified.
The MBTI entry does not define a required patternmaker type.
The Enneagram entry does not predict hiring or income.
The IQ entry does not replace drawing reading, measurement, and training.
The EQ entry grants no communication, quality, or drawing authority.
O*NET tasks for this occupation and the RCA interest profile serve as comparison background.
Task background for this occupation does not prove Chinese qualifications, employer recruitment, or drawing confidentiality law.
Drawing changes, equipment operation and repair, and quality release each follow real post authorization; the setup is fictional only and does not permit running equipment.
Verify version and materials, equipment training, measuring tool status, and quality acceptance first; delivery dates cannot replace re-checking.
O*NET US tasks and on-site background support risk identification and are not a complete conclusion under Chinese law or an accident probability.
Patternmaking and engineering collaborators
Machining to the old width dimensions may cause rework or misassembly
Verify the approved drawing and changes first, and route conflicts to engineering for acceptance
v2 and v1 have different dimensions and the CAM is still the old version, so it cannot be run directly
Measurement and quality staff
Falling within a paper interval does not equal actual conformity, and unknown calibration cannot confirm release
Verify calibration and measurement method, keep the original readings, and send them to quality for review
The fictional sheet's 40.14 exceeds the upper limit by 0.04, and calibration status is unverified
Patternmaking, programming, and records staff
May exceed the contract and the employer's data use permission
Use only the approved scope or fictional materials, and do not pass drawings on yourself
Uploading a customer drawing to public tools, with permission not yet verified
Operation and equipment collaboration staff
Untrained fixturing, repair, or bypassing safeguards carries a real injury risk
Stop the affected operation per post on-site procedures and hand it to equipment-authorized personnel
An unverified program, equipment fault, or unclear safeguard means it cannot be run for a delivery date
Patternmaking, engineering, and quality recipients
Writing only that it was reported with no recipient means the conflict may continue into machining
Write specific numbers, versions, open items, and acceptance status, and release nothing while open
Material resin R conflicts with order wood W, with no engineering confirmation
Patternmaking and authorized quality personnel
Simulated or AI records treated as actual measurement may lead to a false pass judgment
Compare against the current drawing and real inspection basis, re-measure out-of-tolerance readings, and release under authorization
The paper value 40.08 falls within the interval but there is no real calibrated measurement and quality sign-off
O*NET tasks: drawing reading, machining, assembly, and measurement.
O*NET work background is used to identify equipment and precision risks, not an accident rate.
Confidentiality scope is verified per the real contract employer; this page makes no intellectual property legal conclusion.
Software or simulation exercises grant no equipment repair or release authority.
The author examples are paper exception handoffs, not actual measurements or mandatory industry standards.
| CAD/CAM examples |
| Requires equipment authorization |
| Quality inspection collaboration | Verifies dimensions and records deviations | Looks at measuring tools and specifications | Inspection sample sheet | Release depends on authority |
| Tooling technology collaboration | Handles complex fixtures and sample parts | Looks at the design-to-manufacturing interface | Process description | Requires further training |
Recruitment education and experience gap
This round obtained no verifiable independent patternmaker employer recruitment notice, so no nationwide threshold can be claimed.
Once the target notice is available, verify education, drawing reading, measuring tools, machine tools, and contract identity.
Author-designed: version verification
A fictional comparison of drawing v2 and v1, not an employer exam question.
Point out the approval status and the old CAM basis, and do not run real equipment.
Official task materials
The O*NET exact occupation lists drawing reading, pattern creation, machining, assembly, and measurement.
US tasks do not establish a uniform Chinese qualification.
Author-designed: traceable records
Use a fictional measurement sheet to distinguish paper results from unverified actual calibration.
Workpiece number, version, units, deviations, and engineering and quality acceptance are traceable.
Materials and setup | All author-fictional
Fully fictional pattern P paper exercise: approved drawing v2 with width 40.00±0.10 mm, hole spacing 25.00±0.05 mm, and material resin R; the old drawing v1 gives width 39.80±0.10 mm, while the order still says wood W. The fictional measurement sheet records widths of 40.08 and 40.14 mm and a hole spacing of 24.96 mm, and the measuring tool calibration status is unverified; the CAM draft is based on v1. Five questions: which drawing version applies, the two dimension closed intervals, which reading is out of tolerance, who confirms the material conflict, and whether the CAM can be run or the part released? Reference: check the approved v2 and the change records; width 39.90—40.10 mm and hole spacing 24.95—25.05 mm; 40.08 and 24.96 fall within the intervals on paper, while 40.14 exceeds the upper limit by 0.04 mm; unverified calibration means actual conformity cannot be confirmed, so it goes to quality staff for review; the resin and wood conflict goes to engineering for confirmation, without guessing a substitute material; the old CAM cannot be run directly, any real equipment requires training authorization and post review, and paper exercises release nothing. Four outputs: a version comparison, a paper measurement recomputation sheet, a material and program conflict form, and an engineering and quality acceptance handoff sheet. All setups are author-fictional and are not actual dimension standards, measurement records, or employer exams.
Paper or offline CAD reading only, without running machine tools or CAM.
Five questions and four outputs
Answer the version, interval, out-of-tolerance, material acceptance, and run or release questions independently first.
Submit a version comparison, paper recomputation, material and program conflict form, and acceptance handoff sheet.
Reference approach (do it independently first, then read)
Width closed interval 39.90—40.10 and hole spacing 24.95—25.05 mm; 40.14 exceeds the upper limit by 0.04; 40.08 and 24.96 fall within the interval on paper only.
The approved v2 requires verifying changes; unknown calibration means actual conformity is not confirmed; materials go to engineering and measurements go to quality, and the old CAM is not run.
Boundaries and review
All readings are fictional and cannot be written as actual measurements or a passed finished part.
Real materials, equipment, and release all require post training, authorization, and process, and this page grants no operating authority.
Version comparison pack
List the v2 approval basis, the v1 old dimensions, and the order and CAM conflicts.
A peer can point out unverified bases or the risk of using an old version.
Measurement recomputation pack
List the two closed intervals, the three fictional readings, the 0.04 out-of-tolerance value, and the unverified calibration.
A peer recomputes independently and does not treat a paper interval match as actual conformity.
Exception handoff pack
Materials and the old CAM go to engineering, readings and calibration go to quality, and the specific acceptance status is written.
Explanation card
Public work contains fictional drawing data only, lists training and permission open items, and runs no programs.
| Stage | Possible assessment | Observed evidence | Boundaries of use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interview follow-up on drawing versions | How to confirm the dimension and tolerance basis | Can point out the approved version and unknown items | A single employer's questions do not represent a uniform industry exam |
| Interview follow-up on handling out-of-tolerance results | How to re-measure and record deviations | Can explain the timing for stopping work and escalating | Exercises do not replace equipment training |
| Probation handoff | Whether the workpiece, version, and measurement results are identified | Colleagues can continue the review from the records | A single performance does not represent long-term ability |
| Equipment safety handling | How to handle abnormal equipment | Stop the machine and notify personnel per post procedures | Do not repair on your own or bypass safeguards |
Day 1
Day One: distinguish pattern, core box, and template objects, and read the fictional P setup.
Day 2
Day Two: organize the differences in approved versions among drawing v1/v2, the order, and the CAM draft.
Day 3
Day Three: independently recompute the two closed intervals and the 40.14 out-of-tolerance value of 0.04 mm.
Day 4
Day Four: mark the unverified calibration and material conflict, and write the engineering and quality acceptance.
Day 5
Day Five: assemble the four outputs and confirm that no simulated data is passed off as actual measurement, operation, or release.
Day 6
Day Six: seal the first draft, ask a peer to find version, unit, and responsibility omissions, and then check the reference.
Day 7
Day Seven: list the basis for revisions and preference pressures, and decide whether to continue, add training, or change direction, without computing a fit score.
| Qualification / identity | Whom it mainly suits | Realistic role in job seeking | Whether it is a universal entry threshold | Application / registration conditions | Level of investment | Important limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | People who want to enter a patternmaking apprenticeship | The specific education level is decided by the employer | Verify the target employer's hiring conditions | Per the job's training arrangements | Low to medium | Education does not grant equipment operating authority |
| Mechanical drafting training | People who need to read drawings and understand tolerances | Helps verify dimensions, materials, and views | Verify courses and drawing standards | Per program arrangements | Short to medium | Courses do not replace on-site measurement |
| Measuring tool and quality training | People who need to inspect pattern dimensions | Learn calipers, micrometers, and records | Verify measuring tool and calibration requirements | Per employer arrangements | Short | Does not grant final release authority |
| Machine tool safety training | People who need to operate lathes, milling machines, and similar equipment | Learn safeguards, fixturing, and stopping the machine | Verify the employer's equipment authorization | Per equipment arrangements | Medium | Must not operate without authorization |
| CAD/CAM training | People who need to model or program | Assists drawing understanding and CNC preparation | Verify post software and equipment | Per course arrangements | Short to medium | Programs still require trial cutting and verification |
| Identity and security review procedures | Candidates applying to specific industries, or whose target post involves classified work and security review | An employer's post entry requirement that determines the data and project scope that may be accessed, and is not itself a professional competence or qualification assessment | Not a universal entry threshold; it applies only to specific industries or posts and varies with the unit's rules | Reviewed by the employer and the competent department according to post needs; the document list, cycle, and standards are set by each unit, and this page does not list specific procedures. | The cycle and required materials are determined by the unit's process and may involve multiple rounds of document submission and background checks | This page does not list specific review standards; its content must not be used to judge whether an individual can pass review, and it does not represent entry requirements in other countries or industries |
Training certificates, employer hiring, and specific equipment operating authorization are different matters and should follow job training.
Public drawing exercises help understand dimensions but cannot replace real on-site machine tool mentoring.
Welding, grinding wheels, and rotating equipment must be operated according to applicable post safety procedures.
Certificates do not automatically grant drawing approval, equipment repair, or final quality release authority.
Evidence gap: this round obtained no verifiable independent patternmaker employer recruitment notice. The old MyNextMove link is career exploration only and is not recruitment sampling, a pay amount, or a nationwide threshold.
The path is an editorial task suggestion and guarantees no seniority promotion, hiring, or pay; do paper exercises first and then verify real job training.
Distinguish the drawing version and tolerances first, complete the four outputs for fictional P, and do not run equipment.
Paper basic exercises
The actual employer verifies mentoring, measuring tools, and equipment training, and routine operation stays within clear authorization.
Training and mentoring stage
Advanced complex fitting and rework; deviations and material changes go to authorized engineering and quality personnel.
Authorized patternmaking tasks
Mentoring or improvement duties follow appointment, review version breaks and quality records, and do not obtain management authority from years of service.
Mentoring collaboration after appointment
Education, training, hiring, and equipment and quality authorization are verified separately, and no uniform Chinese license-free threshold can be claimed. Typical US high school and on-the-job training is background for that jurisdiction only.
Course certificates grant no authority to operate real machine tools, change drawings, or give final quality release.
In China, verify against the target employer's tasks and applicable jurisdiction; US tasks and training are not automatically mutually recognized.
Practice versions and tolerances first, then add measuring tools, equipment, and CAD/CAM per the actual post; record open items and make no hiring guarantee.
O*NET US tasks and JobZone3 background, not a uniform Chinese education requirement.
The broader BLS machine worker OOH is used for training and risk background and does not claim this occupation's industry pay.
NBS conditional manufacturing average, which does not project post thresholds, recruitment, or starting pay.
Manufacturing classification 3525 under GB/T4754-2017, not an occupational qualification standard.
Verify target education and mentoring arrangements
Distinguish drawing version and dimension units
The four outputs allow checking approval status and open items
Paper learning does not run equipment
Patternmaking learners
Measuring tool, equipment, and job training authorization
Machines patterns under mentoring and records them
The real basis is verifiable, and fiction does not replace actual measurement
Operating scope follows training, and drawings are not changed unilaterally
Trained patternmaking personnel
Complex pattern and fitting training
Verifies material and rework feasibility feedback
Deviations are traceable and have engineering acceptance
Changes and releases go to authorized personnel
Pattern making collaboration
Mentoring or quality improvement appointment
Reviews versions, rework, and handoff breakpoints
A peer can verify the improvement basis
Management scope is defined by appointment
Patternmaking mentoring collaboration
Verify measuring tool and quality training
Practice closed intervals and out-of-tolerance values on paper
The 0.04 out-of-tolerance value on 40.14 can be recomputed independently
Unverified calibration stays open and is not released
Quality learners
Post measurement and inspection authorization
Records real measurements against the current drawing
The numbering, version, and measuring tool basis are checkable
Records do not automatically grant final release authority
Measurement collaborators
Deviation analysis and engineering collaboration training
Verifies re-measurement, rework, and material conflicts
Original readings, re-measurement, and acceptance are traceable
Raises opinions within authority and does not decide engineering changes
Deviation review collaboration
Quality or mentoring appointment
Reviews inspection methods and record omissions
The before and after of actual improvements can be re-verified
Quality approval follows the organization's real authorization
Quality mentoring collaboration
Verify CAD and data permission training
Organize fictional pattern drawing versions
Can separate the v1/v2 and CAM bases
Public exercises do not run real programs
CAD records learners
Post CAD/CAM and equipment authorization
Verifies program versions and process descriptions
The program's original basis and review status are traceable
Old draft versions are not run directly
Program preparation collaboration
Complex program review and handoff training
Verifies materials, fixturing, and first-article acceptance
Differences between versions and open items can be re-checked
Equipment condition and actual measurement are verified per the post
Program review collaboration
Process improvement or mentoring appointment
Reviews program and record errors
Can verify the revision basis and acceptance
Does not privately change permissions or approve drawings
Program records mentoring
Evidence gap: this round obtained no independent Chinese employer recruitment sample for patternmakers, and US projections cannot be used to infer Chinese demand. Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand.
Read overall stock and official net change separately; thousands-table rounding does not change the official net figure.
Not AI causation or individual unemployment, and not Chinese demand.
Employment stock and official net change
SOC51-4062 Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic exact occupation
About 1,500 to 1,100 people; official net of about −300 people, −22.8%
2025—2035 annual average
Includes replacement for transfers and labor force exits, so openings may still exist even when the stock declines.
Not net new jobs, a current recruitment count, or a personal employment guarantee.
Annual average including replacement openings
Exact SOC51-4062
About 100 per year (including replacements)
Mainland China
2025
Pre-tax annual average across all occupations for real manufacturing employers, not the patternmaker pay distribution.
Urban legal entities with 5 or more people; the contract employer's industry must be verified, and self-employment and freelance work are excluded.
All-occupation conditional industry average
Manufacturing non-private and private populations kept separate
113,594 and 76,055 yuan per year (pre-tax; non-private and private)
O*NET exact tasks for this occupation serve scope verification, and US tasks do not project Chinese demand.
BLS exact overall projections: the net of about −300 and the annual figure of about 100 including replacements are kept separate, and the older 2024 history is preserved.
The NBS manufacturing conditional average differs from the occupational distribution, and classification matching requires verification by the real employer.
No independent recruitment notice for this occupation was obtained; the old MyNextMove is career exploration only, and the recruitment gap is stated directly in this section's answer.
Other tooling processes, equipment, and complex mold training
Drawing reading, fitting, and measurement
A wider range of objects, with qualifications and equipment authorization verified separately
Various machined parts and machine tool training
Drawing and dimension verification
Does not automatically obtain all machine tool authority from patternmaking experience
Mechanical drawing standards and design responsibility
Drawing versions and dimension expression
Drafting or design requirements must be added separately, and do not carry customer drawings
Core materials and foundry on-site training
Understanding of pattern and core objects
On-site process risks and tasks must be verified separately
Metal structure assembly and welding training
Fitting, assembly, and records
Welding or handling task authorization is verified separately
Program, equipment, fixturing, and first-article training
CAD/CAM and dimension verification
Software exercises grant no real CNC operating authority
Punch and shear press equipment and process safety training
Drawings, tolerances, and deviation records
Equipment and machining methods require retraining, and no automatic near transfer is claimed
Inspection methods, measuring tool calibration, and quality authorization
Reading records and out-of-tolerance verification
Final release and project qualification are verified per the real post
Evidence gap: this occupation's Chinese AI adoption, time savings, and pay effects were not obtained. CAD/CAM and CNC are kept separate from generative AI; an overall projected decline does not prove AI causation or individual unemployment.
Evidence gap: the precise nationwide pay distribution for patternmakers in China was not obtained. For NBS2025 manufacturing, the pre-tax annual average across all occupations is 113,594 yuan for non-private units and 76,055 yuan for private units. Mold manufacturing code 3525 under GB/T4754-2017 belongs to manufacturing and covers molds used for metal casting and similar purposes; it applies as conditional background only where the real employer is a legal mold or casting pattern manufacturer in manufacturing, and it is not the patternmaker median, percentile, starting pay, or take-home pay. Dispatch, independent design services, and research or education require checking the contract employer's industry separately, and the patternmaker job title or workshop location does not automatically qualify. The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
No. The 2025 US exact 51-4062 median is 58,000 dollars per year and 27.89 dollars per hour, mixing regions, employers, and experience; the quintiles are not a seniority ladder or new-hire starting pay.
Verify against real employer notices and job mentoring. US JobZone3 and the EP typical high school and on-the-job training are background and cannot serve as a uniform Chinese threshold; drawing reading, tolerances, measuring tools, and equipment authorization are learned separately.
Training, hiring, and equipment operation, drawing change, and quality release authorization are verified separately; target post and applicable jurisdiction requirements are verified separately, and no uniform national certification or exemption is claimed.
Errors tend to involve old drawings and programs, units and tolerances, unverified calibration, material conflicts, data leaks, and release without acceptance. Equipment operation follows job training, and affected tasks stop first and go to authorized personnel.
Exact US SOC51-4062: about 1,500 employed in 2025 and about 1,100 projected for 2035; an official net decrease of about 300, or 22.8%, with an annual average of about 100 openings over 2025—2035 including replacement for transfers and labor force exits. Thousands tables are rounded separately, and 1,500 minus 1,100 cannot be used to rewrite the official net change. This is an overall employment projection, not AI adoption, substitution, or an individual unemployment probability, nor does it project Chinese demand. The older O*NET 2024 employment of about 1,600, a 2024—2034 decline of −1% or lower, and an annual average of about 100 openings including replacements are kept as history and are not mixed with the new cycle. Tasks can be compared with tool and die making, machining, drafting, core making, CNC, and inspection; the object, process, and authorization are added separately, with no transfer guarantee.
FermatMind career content team (editorial compilation, not a review by metal and plastic patternmaking practitioners)
O*NET51-4062.00 tasks and 2025 nationwide pay, and the EP2025 —2035 exact overall projections, are read separately; the older 2024 history is preserved. The Chinese manufacturing conditional average is not an exact occupational distribution.
On 2026-10-12 this round verified the O*NET exact tasks and 2025 nationwide pay, the BLS exact employment projections and the broader machine worker background, and the NBS2025 pay table; older source access dates are kept as historical. The classification PDF original text was not obtained this round, and independent employer recruitment remains a data gap.
The Chinese text on this page is used to explain the official US occupational scope and does not establish mutual recognition of Chinese and foreign qualifications; all fictional exercise materials are editorial designs and do not represent employer standards or legal provisions. Personal results, orders, and payment information do not appear on public pages.
The 15 tasks include drawing reading, pattern creation, machining and assembly, measurement, and CAD/CNC; they do not establish a Chinese qualification.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
The 15 tasks include drawing reading, pattern creation, machining and assembly, measurement, and CAD/CNC; they do not establish a Chinese qualification.
2026-08-31
The page's broader machine worker group only allows the occupation-specific 1,500 employment and 58,000 pay to be distinguished; group industry pay and the −7% figure are not treated as exact for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
United States
2025—2035
official occupation background
combined_official
The page's broader machine worker group only allows the occupation-specific 1,500 employment and 58,000 pay to be distinguished; group industry pay and the −7% figure are not treated as exact for this occupation.
2026-08-31
1.5 to 1.1 thousand, an official net of −0.3 thousand and −22.8%, and an annual 0.1 thousand including replacements; not AI or Chinese demand.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
United States
2025—2035
official employment projection
Occupation-specific
1.5 to 1.1 thousand, an official net of −0.3 thousand and −22.8%, and an annual 0.1 thousand including replacements; not AI or Chinese demand.
2026-08-31
All-occupation pre-tax annual average of 113594 and 76055 for non-private and private, not this occupation's distribution.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
National Bureau of Statistics
Mainland China
2025
official industry wage statistics
Industry reference
All-occupation pre-tax annual average of 113594 and 76055 for non-private and private, not this occupation's distribution.
2026-08-31
The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
National Bureau of Statistics
Mainland China
2025
official industry wage statistics
Industry reference
The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
2026-08-31
Mold manufacturing 3525 in figure 37 of PDF43 belongs to manufacturing category C; verify by the real legal entity's main business and do not map directly from the job title.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
National Bureau of Statistics
Mainland China
2017; official file 2025
official industry classification
combined_official
Mold manufacturing 3525 in figure 37 of PDF43 belongs to manufacturing category C; verify by the real legal entity's main business and do not map directly from the job title.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Uses the global task exposure methodology verified earlier in this window, not this occupation's adoption or unemployment.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
International Labour Organization
Global
2025
research
task_methodology
Uses the global task exposure methodology verified earlier in this window, not this occupation's adoption or unemployment.
2026-08-31
The fictional pattern P tolerance, reading, and version prompt is not an industry standard, actual measurement, or employer exam question, and grants no equipment or release authority.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
FermatMind
Global
2026
editorial guidance
internal_rubric
The fictional pattern P tolerance, reading, and version prompt is not an industry standard, actual measurement, or employer exam question, and grants no equipment or release authority.
2026-08-31
Voluntary cross-industry recommendations verified earlier that do not measure this occupation's accident rate or Chinese qualifications.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
NIST
Global
2024
risk framework
task_methodology
Voluntary cross-industry recommendations verified earlier that do not measure this occupation's accident rate or Chinese qualifications.
2026-08-31
US task potential verified earlier, not this occupation's adoption timeline or unemployment.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
Paper authors
United States
2023
research
task_methodology
US task potential verified earlier, not this occupation's adoption timeline or unemployment.
2026-08-31
Cross-industry employer subjective expectations verified earlier, not actual patternmaking measurements.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
World Economic Forum
Global
2025—2030
employer survey
task_methodology
Cross-industry employer subjective expectations verified earlier, not actual patternmaking measurements.
2026-08-31
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Department of Labor, MyNextMove
United States
current O*NET-based profile; accessed 2026-08-31
occupation exploration
Occupation-specific
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Department of Labor, MyNextMove
United States
current O*NET-based profile; accessed 2026-08-31
occupation exploration
Occupation-specific
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
2026-08-31
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Department of Labor, MyNextMove
United States
current O*NET-based profile; accessed 2026-08-31
occupation exploration
Occupation-specific
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
2026-08-31
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Department of Labor, MyNextMove
United States
current O*NET-based profile; accessed 2026-08-31
occupation exploration
Occupation-specific
The legacy ID is retained, but the actual link is not employer recruitment; it provides no Chinese pay amount, current opening, or nationwide threshold.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
Quintiles of 42460, 49070, 58000, 69960, and 82590 dollars per year, not new-hire starting pay or an individual quote.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
United States
2025
official occupation wage statistics
Occupation-specific
Quintiles of 42460, 49070, 58000, 69960, and 82590 dollars per year, not new-hire starting pay or an individual quote.
2026-08-31
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
O*NET / U.S. Department of Labor
United States
2026
official occupation profile
Occupation-specific
Task background only, not Chinese pay, recruitment, legal, archive qualification, or AI adoption evidence for this occupation.
2026-08-31
1.5 to 1.1 thousand, an official net of −0.3 thousand and −22.8%, and an annual 0.1 thousand including replacements; not AI or Chinese demand.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
United States
2025—2035
official employment projection
Occupation-specific
1.5 to 1.1 thousand, an official net of −0.3 thousand and −22.8%, and an annual 0.1 thousand including replacements; not AI or Chinese demand.
2026-10-02
The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
National Bureau of Statistics
Mainland China
2025
official industry wage statistics
Industry reference
The population is urban legal entities with 5 or more people, excluding self-employment and freelance work; annual pay includes personal tax, social insurance, and housing fund, excluding self-employment profit and capital gains; it cannot be divided by 12 and passed off as a contract monthly wage.
2026-10-02
Mold manufacturing 3525 in figure 37 of PDF43 belongs to manufacturing category C; verify by the real legal entity's main business and do not map directly from the job title.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
National Bureau of Statistics
Mainland China
2017; official file 2025
official industry classification
combined_official
Mold manufacturing 3525 in figure 37 of PDF43 belongs to manufacturing category C; verify by the real legal entity's main business and do not map directly from the job title.
2026-10-02
The page's broader machine worker group only allows the occupation-specific 1,500 employment and 58,000 pay to be distinguished; group industry pay and the −7% figure are not treated as exact for this occupation.
Older access dates are kept as historical; this round's use and limits are explicit, and it is not claimed that everything was re-accessed.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
United States
2025—2035
official occupation background
combined_official
The page's broader machine worker group only allows the occupation-specific 1,500 employment and 58,000 pay to be distinguished; group industry pay and the −7% figure are not treated as exact for this occupation.
2026-10-02